Numerical Results from the Granular Volcano Group


	The ultimate website for understanding granular flows

The Granular Volcano Group
Computer Simulation Page

[Church buried under thick pyroclastic flow ash. Monsterrat Island, Caraibes. Courtesy of Dr. Marco Fulle]

Are you interested in Numerical supercomputer simulations?

Well, this is the place. I will show here some recent numerical results I have done so far. I update this page from time to time in order to present the latest results.

You have reached here one of my major research theme: the development of generalized computer codes that can model any sort of geophysical granular flows as seen in Nature (e.g., landslides, nuées ardentes, pyroclastic flows and surges, volcanic jet and plume, so forth).

The ultimate goal is to create supercomputer codes that can carry out modeling in a 3D environment with Digital Elevation Model … But we are not yet there … Indeed, the task is huge! and can only be carried out with perseverance, time, patience, hard labor, and a strong team spirit between fine scientists, physicists, volcanologists, engineers and computer scientists …

Thereby, it is not surprising that this project lies within the framework of international and multidisciplinary collaborations between different fine people and teams such as the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), laboratories of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Michigan Tech' University (MTU), and McGill University (Montreal, Canada).

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If you wish more details about the governing equations, the physics, so forth … Please feel free to contact the Web Master or to ask any question you want in our granular-volcano Discussion Forum.

The computer codes used for all the simulations seen on this page is MFIX (Multiphase Flow with Interphase eXchange). MFIX is developed by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), division of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). For more information on the MFIX project, please, visit the MFIX page.

You can also visit the Granular Theory Overview Page where you will find some key facts to understand those results. If you do not know anything about granular flow and multi-phase flow, I advise you to stop by in our What is a Granular Medium Page. In case viscous stress is nothing but Chinese for you, then don’t panic, and go instead in our All I wanna know ’bout Viscous Stress Page. For a more detailed review of the frictional stress studied from the plastic flow theories using the Mohr-Coulomb law, please visit our A Review of the Plastic-Frictional Stress - Part. 1.

Please, don’t forget to sign our Granular Volcano Guest Book.

I am very pleased to show on this page and on the plinian page the first Plinian clouds ever simulated with a comprehensive multi-phase multi-species code. You can download a JPEG file (250 Kb) of a time sequence of snapshots from three Plinian column simulations. The movie of those simulations can seen here below. Those simulations are named Plinian_1 (weak eruption, with partial collapse at the edge of the column), Plinian_2 (mild eruption), Plinian_3 (strong eruption). This JPEG document will help you to scale the three simulations and better understand the movie. [Click Here for this JPEG document].

If you wish to read a complete analysis of the plinian simulations, please, go to the plinian page where you can read and download Power Point Presentation (with photos, movies, ...), validation studies, and JPEG documents.

If you wonder who is behind those simulations and this project, please, visit also my bio page.

If you need an official reference for the content of this website, please, use:
Dartevelle, S., Numerical and granulometric approaches to geophysical granular flows, Ph.D. thesis, Michigan Technological University, Department of Geological and Mining Engineering, Houghton, Michigan, July 2003.

For now, you may see those numerical simulations and results (click and the movie will be played in your favorite Media Player):

[Monsterrat's Capital buried under thick pyroclastic flow ash. Monsterrat Island, Caraibes. Courtesy of Dr. Marco Fulle]

Animation movie over 8 minutes of a Pyroclastic flow (named PF3, grain concentration). Size (radial x height): 10km x 2.5km, resolution: 2.5m and variable x 10m and variable	[click here] (294 Kb)
Animation movie over 8 minutes of a Pyroclastic flow (named PF2, grain concentration). Size (radial x height): 10km x 2.5km, resolution: 2.5m and variable x 10m and variable	[click here] (267 Kb)
Animation movie over 1 hour of a weak Plinian column (named Plinian_1, grain concentration). Size (radial x height): 20km x 18km, resolution: 30m and variable x 30m Mass Flux is 3.15x10⁶ kg/s (this is a small mass flux)	[click here] (1185 Kb)
Animation movie over 1 hour of a mid-size Plinian column (named Plinian_2, grain concentration). Size (radial x height): 40km x 25km, resolution: 50m and variable x 50m Mass Flux is 2.41x10⁷ kg/s (this is an mild mass flux)	[click here] (894 Kb)
Animation movie over 1 hour of a strong Plinian column (named Plinian_3, grain concentration). Size (radial x height): 60km x 36km, resolution: 80m and variable x 80m Mass Flux is 1.39x10⁸ kg/s (this is getting a strong mass flux)	[click here] (883 Kb)
Animation movie over 1 hour of the Temperature anomalies within a strong Plinian cloud (Plinian_3, Temperature difference with the ambient). Size (radial x height): 60km x 36km, resolution: 80m and variable x 80m Mass Flux is 1.39x10⁸ kg/s	[click here] (894 Kb)
Animation movie over 1 hour of the Temperature anomalies within a middle Plinian cloud (Plinian_2, Temperature difference with the ambient). Size (radial x height): 40km x 25km, resolution: 50m and variable x 50m Mass Flux is 2.41x10⁷ kg/s	[click here] (859 Kb)
Animation movie of a hot pyroclastic flows and co-ignimbrite ash cloud (steam concentration). Size (radial x height): 15km x 5km, resolution: 10m x 10m to 200m	[click here] (1,405 Kb)
Animation movie of hot pyroclastic flows and co-ignimbrite ash cloud (grain concentration). Size (radial x height): 15km x 5km, resolution: 10m x 10m to 200m	[click here] (1,314 Kb)
Animation movie of a granular gravity current developed in a lock-exchange setup with a tilt angle of 10°. Size (radial x height): 2m x 50cm, resolution: 2cm x 2cm	[click here] (304 Kb)
Another animation movie of a granular gravity current developed in a lock-exchange setup with a tilt angle of 10°. Size (radial x height): 2m x 50cm, resolution: 2cm x 2cm	[click here] (753 Kb)

Please, let enough time to your Browser to upload the animations (about 10 to 20 seconds).
If you wanna see those movies without no trouble, please, use the latest version of Microsoft Windows Media Player, RealAudio Player One, and/or QuickTime Player which can be all downloaded for free.

If you have enjoyed this Numerical Results webpage, pleaaase, before you leave, sign my Guestbook. It's all I ask!

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